Mattresses for “sleep sofas” are commonly thinner versions of standard spring or foam mattresses, which allow the mattress to be folded, along with a complex folding mechanism, for storage within the frame of the sleep sofa. Disadvantages of these mattresses include limited width due to the folding mechanism, limited length due to the amount of mechanism/mattress volume that can be stored, and reduced sleep comfort due to the decreased support of the mattress in addition to user contact with the folding mechanism.
Inflatable mattresses are often used as alternatives to standard box spring or coiled spring mattresses, and in some cases as alternatives to sleep sofas, particularly where portability of the mattress is required. Inflatable mattresses commonly include a fluid valve for inflating and deflating the mattress, which is connectable to a fluid pump such as an air pump. These mattresses are commonly constructed of polymeric material(s) which is lightweight for transfer, and foldable for storage when the mattress is not in use. Disadvantages of a stand alone air mattress include that the air mattress, although portable, requires significant floor space of the dwelling it is used in, independent of the envelope already required for furniture items of the dwelling. Air mattresses are typically folded for storage in a box or container, which requires its own storage volume when not in use. Also, air mattresses are generally not connectable to other structure or furniture items, and therefore can shift when a user is entering onto or exiting from the mattress.
Inflatable mattresses in combination with a conventional box spring or in combination with a mattress support system are known which provide adjustable pressure sleep support zones. These inflatable mattresses are internally divisible into two or more zones, each having an inflation/deflation valve to control the fluid pressure in each zone. A disadvantage of the combination of an inflatable mattress and a mattress support system is this system still requires the cost and complexity of the support system, as well as the volume of the support system even if the air mattress is deflated.